Road Commission set for busy season

The signs that the St. Joseph County Road Commission is ready for snow are far from subtle.

By Jef RietsmaJournal Correspondent

The signs that the St. Joseph County Road Commission is ready for snow are far from subtle.

Seven-foot wing blades are in place on 11 snow-removal trucks; an inventory of nearly 1,300 tons of road salt has been mixed into sand at a 3-to-1 ratio; and the department’s team of more than two dozen drivers are updated regularly on long-range weather reports.

Christopher Bolt, manager of the Centreville-based agency, said the commission was spared bad weather in November and has dodged a bullet halfway through December.

“We sent the trucks out Monday for the first and only time this season,” Bolt said. “There were some slick spots and we had reports of some areas that needed attention, so our first run of the season is out of the way and we’ll just wait to see what happens next.”

Defining ‘mild’

Bolt joined the county road commission in January and was named manager in September. He holds the same title with Cass County. An Iowa native, Bolt said winter is the period when the department’s employees truly earn their wages.

Even a mild winter, as the case was a year ago, can pose challenges. Bolt said there are misconceptions about so-called mild winters.

“Even with a light snowfall, followed by melting during the day and freezing at night, we’ll have icy surfaces to treat,” Bolt said. “Last year was generally considered mild but we still had our share of work, there’s just really no gauge or single factor that lets you compare how mild one winter was compared to another, from a road commission perspective.”

Bolt conceded, however, that overtime can be a potential measure of a winter’s severity.

Taking the lead

The department oversees 1,022 miles of roadways in the county. It has a fleet of more than two dozen vehicles and 11 wing blades. Bolt said the county has taken the lead in the region when it comes to wing blades, which add about seven feet of snow clearance compared to an under-the-truck “belly blade.”

Chris Minger, project manager and a longtime St. Joseph County Road commission employee, said the commission likes to issue an annual reminder to residents that children should not play in the snow near county-maintained roads. The length of wing blades can be deceptive because portions of them are enveloped by snow being cleared off a shoulder.

“The wing blades throw the snow up in the air while belly blades shoot snow out from underneath (a truck),” Minger said. “Either way, it’s a dangerous situation to be standing near the side of the road when a (snow-removal) truck is approaching.”

Bolt, 42, said the commission receives its share of criticism for not adding a sand-salt mixture to all stretches of its roads. He said the department’s budget simply makes such a measure impossible. The focus remains on bridges, major intersections and sharp curves.

Bolt said drivers are typically assigned the same routes each year, and that familiarity gives them a good idea of where slippery conditions and a strong sand-salt application is warranted.

“People need to remember the roads our crews maintain are the same roads their family members and friends travel, so we do the best we can with what we have,” Bolt said. “When we hear about a major accident that was the result of ice or snow-covered roads, our guys do take it personally … it’s hard for them to hear about situations like that.”

Bolt likened the job of a driver to that of a firefighter. The need for service is unpredictable and results may not always end up favorable.

“There’s fatigue, there’s a real challenge out there when visibility is poor and the snow just keeps coming,” Bolt said. “Still, I can say with full confidence that we are always doing our best, no matter who is in charge of the commission.”

Bolt took the place of Louis Csokasy, who had accepted the job of interim county administrator for Cass County.

The St. Joseph County agency has satellite garages in the Three Rivers area and Colon Township.

now-removal trucks; an inventory of nearly 1,300 tons of road salt has been mixed into sand at a 3-to-1 ratio; and the department’s team of more than two dozen drivers are updated regularly on long-range weather reports.

Christopher Bolt, manager of the Centreville-based agency, said the commission was spared bad weather in November and has dodged a bullet halfway through December.

“We sent the trucks out Monday for the first and only time this season,” Bolt said. “There were some slick spots and we had reports of some areas that needed attention, so our first run of the season is out of the way and we’ll just wait to see what happens next.”

Defining ‘mild’

Bolt joined the county road commission in January and was named manager in September. He holds the same title with Cass County. An Iowa native, Bolt said winter is the period when the department’s employees truly earn their wages.

Even a mild winter, as the case was a year ago, can pose challenges. Bolt said there are misconceptions about so-called mild winters.

“Even with a light snowfall, followed by melting during the day and freezing at night, we’ll have icy surfaces to treat,” Bolt said. “Last year was generally considered mild but we still had our share of work, there’s just really no gauge or single factor that lets you compare how mild one winter was compared to another, from a road commission perspective.”

Bolt conceded, however, that overtime can be a potential measure of a winter’s severity.

Taking the lead

The department oversees 1,022 miles of roadways in the county. It has a fleet of more than two dozen vehicles and 11 wing blades. Bolt said the county has taken the lead in the region when it comes to wing blades, which add about seven feet of snow clearance compared to an under-the-truck “belly blade.”

Chris Minger, project manager and a longtime St. Joseph County Road commission employee, said the commission likes to issue an annual reminder to residents that children should not play in the snow near county-maintained roads. The length of wing blades can be deceptive because portions of them are enveloped by snow being cleared off a shoulder.

“The wing blades throw the snow up in the air while belly blades shoot snow out from underneath (a truck),” Minger said. “Either way, it’s a dangerous situation to be standing near the side of the road when a (snow-removal) truck is approaching.”

Bolt, 42, said the commission receives its share of criticism for not adding a sand-salt mixture to all stretches of its roads. He said the department’s budget simply makes such a measure impossible. The focus remains on bridges, major intersections and sharp curves.

Bolt said drivers are typically assigned the same routes each year, and that familiarity gives them a good idea of where slippery conditions and a strong sand-salt application is warranted.

“People need to remember the roads our crews maintain are the same roads their family members and friends travel, so we do the best we can with what we have,” Bolt said. “When we hear about a major accident that was the result of ice or snow-covered roads, our guys do take it personally … it’s hard for them to hear about situations like that.”

Bolt likened the job of a driver to that of a firefighter. The need for service is unpredictable and results may not always end up favorable.

“There’s fatigue, there’s a real challenge out there when visibility is poor and the snow just keeps coming,” Bolt said. “Still, I can say with full confidence that we are always doing our best, no matter who is in charge of the commission.”

Bolt took the place of Louis Csokasy, who had accepted the job of interim county administrator for Cass County.

The St. Joseph County agency has satellite garages in the Three Rivers area and Colon Township.

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